The decision to divorce is not always an easy one to make. For this reason, trial separations are common for married couples who are considering divorce. Arizona residents may be interested to know, however, that separating without any sort of legal contract can be financially risky -- especially for couples who have acquired a significant amount of assets throughout their marriage.

To help protect these assets, some legal professionals suggest creating a legal separation agreement. In fact, some states require that couples considering divorce first go through a legal separation. A legal separation agreement allows couples to sit down and discuss important issues that will come up in a divorce.

When two people go through divorce proceedings, they will have to determine such things as alimony, child support, child custody and asset division. A legal separation agreement gives married couples the opportunity to discuss each of these issues. Creating this document can go a long way toward making sure both spouses are legally protected during a separation. Then, if a couple eventually decides to divorce, the process will likely be much easier.

Not only will legal separation give you a jump start on divorce planning, but it can also have benefits if one spouse is worried about post-divorce finances. By legally separating but not divorcing, spouses can remain on each other's health insurance plans, continue to file taxes jointly and meet certain requirements for government benefits.

In the end, it is important to know your options when considering divorce. Speaking to an experienced Phoenix family law attorney may be helpful in deciding what is best for your personal situation.

Source: Forbes, "Legal Separation or Divorce: Which is Better Financially?" Jeff Landers, Jan. 10, 2012